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One of the newer cardinals - Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi - is Sicily's shining shepherd as the Archbishop of Palermo

      Our thirty-first red hat we feature, in alphabetical order is 68 year-old Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi, the Archbishop of Palermo in Sicily. A native of southern Italy, he has been well received by Sicilians as their shepherd. He received his red hat from Pope John Paul II in the most recent Consistory of February 21, 1998. For more on Cardinal de Giorgi, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

31.   Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi

      Appointed in the most recent Consistory, Cardinal Salvatore de Giorgi was born on September 6, 1930 in Vernole, Italy and ordained to the priesthood on June 28, 1953. His local ordinary appointed him as diocesan chaplain to the Teachers' Movement of Catholic Action and from there as Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Office in his see's chancery. Pope Paul VI elevated him to bishop on November 21, 1973, bestowing on him the titular bishopric of Tulana and auxiliary bishop of Oria. On St. Patrick's Day, 1978 the Holy Father promoted him to Bishop of Oria. Three years later Pope John Paul II upgraded him to Archbvishop of Foggia on April 4, 1981 where he remained until being assigned Archbishop of Taranto on October 19, 1987. He resigned that position in 1990 to become General President of Catholic Action in Italy.

      Already a native of southern Italy, having spent all his priestly life in the heal of the boot of Italy, the Vicar of Christ moved him past the toe and farther south when Six years later he made Cardinal de Giorgi the Archbishop of Palermo in Sicily on April 4, 1996, a position he still holds. Shortly after his appointment he was elected President of the Sicilian Episcopal Conference. The Holy Father named him to his most recent Consistory of February 21, 1998 where he received his red biretta and the titular church of St. Mary in Ara Caeli. He serves on the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. At 68 years plus and with little curial or international experience he is not considered a front-runner for the next papal election, but that's fine with the Sicilian people who have come to regard Cardinal de Giorgi as one of their own.

Events Today in Church History

     On this date in 752 Pope Saint Zachary I died. This 91st successor of Peter became the first ever Roman Pontiff to consecrate a sovereign when he crowned Pipin the Short as King of the Franks. It marked the beginning of France's long association with the Church, both good and bad, and established France as a Catholic country up to the present day. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for March 15:

• 459 A.D.
  
• Attila the Hun, the Scourge of Rome who was turned away at the gates of Rome when he met face to face with Pope Leo the Great, dies.

• 752 A.D.
  
• Death of Pope Saint Zachary, 91st successor of Peter. This Calabria-born Pontiff was elected on December 10, 741. During his eleven year pontificate he strongly opposed Rachis, Duke of Friuli who wanted to occupy all Italy. The latter afterwards became a monk. Zachary consecrated Pipin the Short as King of the Franks which made it the first ever investiture of a sovereign by a Roman Pontiff.

• 933 A.D.
  
• King Henry V of Germany, husband of Saint Matilda, defeats the Magyars opening more regions to receive the Holy Faith.

• 1147 A.D.
  
• During the Second Crusade, King Alphonso I of Portugal captures the Moors fortress at Santarem to preserve the Holy Catholic Church in the southern regions in the West

• 1330 A.D.
  
• Azzone Visconti, aligned with the antipope Nicholas V wrests control in Milan despite the protests of Pope John XXII

• 1493 A.D.
  
• Christopher Columbus returns to Spain from Hispaniola

• 1561 A.D.
  
• The Portuguese envoy and missionary to the Munhumutapa in southeast Africa Father da Silveira is martyred.

• 1660 A.D.
  
• Death of Saint Louise de Marillac, co-founder with Saint Vincent de Paul of the Daughters of Charity. She was canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius XI and in 1960 Pope John XXIII declared her Patroness of Social Workers.

• 1729 A.D.
  
• Sister St. Stanislaus Hachard becomes the first United States citizen to take vows in New Orleans on this date as an Ursuline nun.

• 1875 A.D.
  
• Cardinal John McCloskey becomes the first United States Cardinal. This American-born Irish prelate was ordained on January 12, 1934 and became the first Bishop of Albany, New York in 1847. He was appointed Archbishop of New York City in 1864 and on this date Pope Pius IX named him to the cardinalate.

• 1944 A.D.
  
• An unfortunate and disastrous event occurred on this date when allied bombers, trying to flesh out the Nazi snipers and axis troops holed up at the famous Benedictine Montecassino Monastery, peppered the region with bombs, destroying the millennium-old edifice where Saint Benedict found refuge and began the monastery in the year 525. For 1,419 years it stood proudly as a bastion for the faith withstanding constant barrages from outside forces, but was demolished in one day due to the technology of explosives.

      Today is the Fourth Monday of Lent with tomorrow continuing the Lenten Liturgy for the Fourth Tuesday of Lent. For the readings, liturgies and meditations, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Monday March 15:
Lenten Weekday

Purple or violet vestments

First Reading: Isaiah 65: 17-21
Psalms: Psalm 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13
Gospel Reading: John 4: 43-54

Tuesday March 16:
Lenten Weekday

Purple or violet vestments

First Reading: Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12
Psalms: Psalm 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9
Gospel Reading: John 5: 1-3, 5-16

      Below is another increment of a special prayer for Fasting and Giving Alms from the USCC:

     Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation; You call us to shelter the homeless and to clothe the naked.

Satan mocks those who strive to do God's Will

      So many souls don't realize what satan is up to until too late. Imagine, if you will, his utter shrill of ecstacy when Mary's Divine Son Jesus was led away from Gethsemane to the Praetorium by the soldiers, bound in chains. Our Lady was suffering greatly with her Son even though He was miles away at the time. Yet, in Meditative Lesson 7 THE MOTHER SUFFERS WITH THE SON we see there is no bitterness in Mary, only sadness at how many souls have been duped and lost through the wiles of the demon. These meditative lessons, imparted by Our Lady to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart during Lent of 1993, are meant to inspire and prompt a greater understanding of the season of Lent in helping us all prepare for His Passion and Death, and ultimately the glorious Resurrection. These lessons help us realize that we, too, must suffer with Mary and Jesus in reparation for the countless souls who mock Him. For part one, click on "IT IS CONSUMMATED!"

      Dear Father, again I am called to write. Our Lady asks me to say here that always, before and after these Lessons, I pray—on my knees before the Crucifix, seeking only the Divine Will. Then Our Lady speaks, saying it is time to begin. I test her voice and proceed.

      It is late. I am no longer with Jesus. I am in a small room where the furnishing are sparse, a simple bed against the far left wall, a small slit of window in the adjoining wall. There is a chair in the room. I see nothing else. Then I hear the sound of crying and I look toward the bed. There, at the foot of the very uncomfortable-looking bed by our standards, I see the Mother of God.

      She is on her knees, head bent toward her chest, and her whole being is shaken by sobs. Around her I am given to see a golden light which glows, one moment dimly, the next brighter.

      I want to run to the Blessed Mother, to fall upon my knees beside her and, throwing my arms about her, I desire to comfort Her. O! To hear the Mother of God cry!

      But I do not move and in that moment I am given to understand that our Blessed Mother is being shown by heavenly vision all that is happening to her Son. Her soul, pure and spotless, sees also the demon’s mockery and the demon’s mockery and the dying embers of souls lost for all eternity. She sees also all who shall have eternal life because of her Son’s infinite sacrifice.

      Her tears are at once very human - she is truly Mother - and also very holy for as each drop of blood falls from the Sacred Body of her Son, do so Mary’s tears fall. Mingling thus in the sight of the Father, they create a torrent of mercy, forgiveness and love.

NEXT INSTALLMENT: Part Two of Lesson 7: THE MOTHER SUFFERS WITH THE SON

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The Mystical Stigmata

      With the anticipation of the beatification of Padre Pio, the most well-known stigmatist of our times, we wanted to bring you a brief description of what this is. The word comes from the Greek stizein which means mark as in tattoo mark, and in Latin translates to stigma. The Church considers a stigmata as a supernatural wound or scar that appears on the parts of the body that parallel the wounds Jesus experienced on the Cross and is representative of someone suffering the intense pain of the passion of Christ, usually corresponding to the liturgical time - day or hour that Our Lord suffered. This person is found in a limited amount of souls over the centuries who have practiced heroic virtue and have an undying love for Jesus and are willing to suffer for Him in whatever way God so deigns. The person is always a victim soul who is subjected to tremendous suffering physically and mentally. Saint Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio are excellent examples of the visible stigmata while Saint Catherine of Siena is one who suffered as well but possessed the invisible stigmata that only revealed itself upon her death. There have been over 300 cases the Church has confirmed have had the stigmata throughout Church history with sixty-two persons having been declared saints and many others have been declared blessed, including Padre Pio this comng May. The stigmata cannot be explained by medical experts for it goes against all medical logic. The wounds are fresh and the bleeding is pure blood with no fear of infection or lesions. The wounds are not connected to blood vessels, but a veritable font of fresh blood flows from the surface. The source therefore must be supernatural according to all experts who have examined a true stigmatist. For more we refer you to The Catholic Encyclopedia at New Advent Catholic Supersite. (sources:Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon, SJ, Doubleday; Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson Publishers).

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March 15, 1999 volume 10, no. 51   DAILY CATHOLIC